Beth,
why don’t you start out by telling us a little bit about yourself.

Married to my high
school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
surrounded by my children, grandbabies, and assorted animals. An avid gardener,
my love of herbs and heirloom plants figures into my work. The rich history of
Virginia, the Native Americans and the people who journeyed here from far
beyond her borders are at the heart of my inspiration. In addition to American
settings, I also write historical and time travel romances set in the British
Isles, and nonfiction about gardening, herbal lore, and country life.

I’m deeply
drawn to colonial America, especially the colonial frontier and the Indian
Wars, but also The American Revolution and other aspects of early America. I
also have historical and time travel romances set in the British Isles, so
that’s another favorite, but for the purposes of this post, I will stick to colonial
America. My Native
American Warrior Series is loosely tied together based more on time and place
and strong Native American characters than as a traditional series that follows
the storyline. However,Kira,
Daughter of the Moonis the
actual sequel toThrough the
Fire, and there will be other sequels. In addition to Native Americans,
hardy Scots-Irish frontiersmen and women, colonial Englishmen and ladies, and
even a few Frenchmen also play an important role in this series. So far, it
spans the gamut from the dramatic era of the French and Indian War, through
Pontiac's War, The American Revolution and shortly thereafter. But that time
period may broaden as more stories are added to this line.

Oh my, yes! I
live in the beautiful, richly historic Shenandoah Valley of Virginia where my early
American Scots-Irish ancestors were among the first settlers, and have an
amazing and well documented family genealogy that has been and is an ongoing
source of inspiration. I’ve also had a lot of help along the way from
historians, anthologists, archeologists, reenactors, (many local) the Ohio Shawnee
themselves, and been given old annals, research books, directed to sites and
events, seen a frontier fort burn while war whoops sounded…

What appeals to you about this period?

What doesn’t? The
drama and adventure of early America is vibrantly alive. I feel as if I lived
back then. My ancestral roots reach way back into early America, including
family members taken captive by The Shawnee and other Eastern woodland tribes,
but my focus is on the Shawnee. Wicomechee, the hero in my historical romance
novel, Red Bird’s Song, is an actual
Shawnee warrior I have family ties to. I give more on his story at the end of
the book, and it’s quite an account. Wicomechee was remarkable and so inspiring
to an author passionate about the past. That was the first novel I ever wrote
and will always be my favorite.

Sometimes
years, definitely months. Some of it is cumulative, and I only have to brush up
on the info I’ve already learned before continuing with a writing project.

Do you tend to research before you
write, or more as you write?

I do a lot of research before I write
but also as I go along. Often accounts I uncover are vital to the story.

Do you tend to use secondary or primary
research sources?

Primary as much
as possible, but also good secondary. There’s nothing like old letters, annals,
journals and other original accounts.

Any favorite sources?

Way too many to
name, as I hinted above. Many research books, some rare, even manuscripts
copied for me by historians and other experts I’ve met. Reenactors have been a
big help. I also find some of the historical online sites very worthwhile, like
the colonial Williamsburg one, and others too numerous to list. The museums
attached to old homes and historical sites have great books and resources
unique to that region, so always check those out. I could blather endlessly
about research. If a reader wants to know more, they can contact me: bctrissel@yahoo.com

Have you ever found out after a book
was published that you made an error with a historical fact?

The colonial period is becoming a favorite of mine as well, Beth, after recent visits to many historical sites in the East. (I'm a California girl.) I must say, the Shenandoah valley was breathtaking. Your books are such intriguing concepts, and characters. Continued good luck!